The Second Act
by QueenAlicorn
Summary: Buster Moon is here again. But this time he is writing a tribute play for someone who he deeply cares about. That, and he has decided that he should get back in the dating game, and is getting help from (it seems) every female that he knows. Follow Buster while he learns how to follow his heart, and his head, while these singers learn to become actors.
1. Chapter 1

the second act

Disclaimer: I do not own the movie Sing or it's characters.

Chapter 1,

 **"So, Mr. Moon, you pulled yourself out of the gutter with your band of singing contestants. What is your next move?" The reporter asked and Mr. Moon smiled.**

 **"Well, I am lucky to have the acts that I do, so I was thinking that I could extend them so that the world can really get to know them, like I have. Because without them, the Moon Theater wouldn't exist." He said and the reporter eyed him.**

 **"Yes, them and the money that Nana Noodleman gave you." The reporter said and Moon blinked.**

 **"Well, yes, of course." He said and the reporter nodded.**

 **"So do you think that your success will last while Mrs. Noodleman is in the hospital. She won't be there to bail you out when you get into trouble." The reporter said and Moon gave a nervous laugh.**

 **"Well, of course, but I wouldn't say that we needed to be bailed out.-"**  
 **"And what will your so-called 'Acts' do when your theater crumbles for the second time?"**  
 **"It's not going to crumb-"**  
 **"How do you expect them to get through life when they are dependent on you for their success?"**  
 **"Ok, hang on.-"**  
 **"I mean, come on. You're not the most reliable name in theater."**  
 **"That's a little-"**  
 **"It's true and you can't even fight it."**

 **"You're attacking me!" Moon finally shouted and the reporter turned to his camera.**

 **"Let the record show that Moon got hostile when questioned about his theater's success." The reporter said and Moon gasped.**

 **"Did you really say the word 'Questioned'? This is more of an interrogation then a interview." Moon said and the reporter smiled.**

 **"Ok, well, do you happen to have any comments about Mike and the rumors about his gambling addiction?" The reporter said and Moon became uncomfortable. The camera almost seemed to be mocking him.**

 **"Well, no, but-"  
"So you have no problem working with a criminal?"  
"As far as I know, Mike is not a criminal."  
"Well, what about Johnny? After all he worked with his father's gang. It's shocking that he isn't in jail as well."  
"That's uncalled for-"  
"You know what's uncalled for? Ash's stalker. Are you doing anything to help her out with that?"  
"Well, she feels like-"  
"So, that's a no. Let the record show that Moon does not care about the safety of his employee's."  
"I do care."  
"Apparently not enough to protect them."  
"It's a complicated-"  
"Complicated, that sounds like that mom you hired. Doesn't she have twelve kids? Do you offer her something to help in the 'babysitter department'."  
"Well,-"  
"Let the record show that Moon doesn't offer child care services."  
"I didn't even get a chance to answer."  
"Well, back when you had your original theater, you never gave Meena a chance to sing for you. Isn't that true?"  
"Well, technically-"  
"Let the record show that Moon is not excepting of elephants."  
"Whoa, I'm not-"  
"Not excepting because you hid her in the stage crew?"  
"She loved-"  
"And don't get me started on Gunter."  
"What's wrong with-"  
"Sure he is a good dancer, but your competition was for singing, and he is by far the least talented singer you have."  
"I don't think that's fair."  
"Well is it fair for your father to work for 30 years to buy a theater that you destroyed and ended up buying a new one with Nana's money."  
"Who told you-"  
"Your father degraded himself everyday to make your life better, and you ruined it.  
"Well, I doubt-"  
"Your father would be ashamed." The reporter stated and Moon blinked.**

 **"He would be proud." Moon said after a moment and the reporter pursed his lips lightly.**

 **"Would he?" The reporter asked and Moon stared at him while he tried to find the right words**

A knock on Buster's office door woke him up, and with groggy eyes, he lifted his heavy head and looked at the familiar porcupine.

"I was here earlier, but thought you looked so tired, I decided to let you sleep for a minute." Ash said and Moon widened his eyes to help wake himself up

"Oh, Ash, it's you." He said with a yawn and stretched his arms.

"What can I do for you?" Moon asked and Ash walked into the office and closed the door behind her.

"Well, first of all, we are going to a restaurant to celebrate Mrs. Crawlies birthday. And I thought that I could talk to you about, well, age." She said and Buster blinked.

"What do you mean?" Moon asked and Ash sighed.

"I'm sorry to say it, but back when Lance filled out that paper for us in the singing competition, he lied about our ages." Ash said and Moon opened a drawer and pulled out Ash's file.

"Ok, well, why did he do that?" Moon asked and Ash sighed.

"I forget his exact words, but basically he said that the audience would us more if we were younger, and that all the great famous people lie about their age." Ash said and Buster nodded a little.

"Well, ok, my file says that you are 18 but your birthday is coming up. So how old are you?" Moon asked and Ash bit her lip.

"Well, right now I am 24." She said and Buster blinked.

"Really?" He said and Ash nodded.

"Yeah, well, that's the truth." Ash said, gently rubbing her arm and Moon thought about this for a second.

"Can I ask a personal question?" Moon asked and Ash shrugged.

"How long were you and Lance together?" Moon asked and Ash took in a breath as she thought about this.

"Uh, well... about..." She said with her voice lowering.

"You don't remember?" Moon asked and Ash shook her head.

"No, I do, I just don't think about it. I mean this theater has been open for several months, plus the construction time, and we broke up before the old theater was brought down, all together we have been broken up for like a year. Lance and I were together for close to 3 years. Although it seems like the best times in our relationship were the days I tolerated him the most. But yeah, 3 years." Ash said and Moon smiled.

"Well, at least you can date someone better." Moon said and Ash blinked then blushed at this statement.

"I guess so. But I don't really see people outside of the theater." Ash admitted and Moon chuckled.

"Preaching to the choir sweetheart." Moon said, jumping down from his chair and walking over to his new chest.

"Yeah, I haven't really seen a lot of women in this office." Ash said while Moon got his present to Mrs. Crawly out of it.

"Most women I met didn't like that I put the theater first." Moon said and Ash nodded.

"Well, I get it. It's your dream, and it's a gift from your dad. You supporting it... it's like a tribute to your dad." Ash said with a bit of respect in her voice.

"I guess it is kinda a tribute. Huh..." Moon thought and Ash looked at him.

"What?" She said and Moon looked at her.

"I wonder if I could create a play that was a tribute to my dad." Moon said and Ash smiled.

"Yeah. You could even play your dad." Ash said and Buster blushed.

"Oh, I don't think I could do that. I'm not an actor." He said and Ash laughed.

"You have a group of performers, and that's not really actors." She said and Moon smiled.

"It might be better if I found a real actor." He said and Ash smiled.

"True, but honestly if anyone could live up to your dad's legacy around here, it's you." Ash said and Moon blinked.

"Well, I'll think about it. Of course, if I do this play then I do need to find an actress for my mom. I don't think that I can kiss some stranger." Moon said and Ash shrugged.

"Perhaps you won't put a kiss scene in the play." Ash suggested and Moon thought about this.

"Ah, maybe. We better leave soon, we don't want to be late." Moon said and Ash nodded.

"My gift is downstairs, the others have already gone ahead." She said and she walked out of the room. Buster watched her walk off and he thought about something she said. 'I haven't seen a lot of women in your office.'

"Hey, Ash." He called out to her, running to his door and saw her down the hallway. She turned towards him with a confused look.

"What?" She asked and Moon blinked.

"Uh, well. Do you have a ride?" He asked and Ash blinked.

"No, unless you count the bus." She said pulling out a few dollars out of her pocket. Moon chuckled softly at her.

"I bought a car and it's out back. I'll give you a ride." Moon said and Ash smiled.

"Thanks, I appreciate that." She said and then she continued to walk down the hallway. Moon watched her leave and he wasn't sure why he did that.


	2. Chapter 2

the second act

Disclaimer: I do not own the movie Sing or it's characters

Chapter 2,

"So, Moon? Have you been looking around for a girl who loves the theater, or have you stopped looking?" Ash asked in Buster's car. She was holding the presents for Ms. Crawly in her lap, and her eyes either looked at them or out the window.

"Uh, well." Buster said as he tried to recall when his last date was.

"I guess it's been a while." Buster admitted and Ash kinda blushed.

"Ok, well I thought that I would ask." She said and Buster glanced at her.

"Why do you care?" He wondered out loud, and he was surprised at hearing his voice say this.

"Oh, well... You are me friend so I want you to be happy." She said and Buster smiled.

"Yes, well, I have my theater and I love it, so I am happy. Besides I can't tell you how many times Ms. Crawly has tried to set me up in the past." Moon said and Ash laughed.

"With who?" She asked and Moon smiled.

"Friends of hers has daughters. But, uh, that doesn't exactly make them my age." Moon said and Ash smiled.

"Did you go on any of these blind dates?" Ash asked and Moon hesitated.

"Well, at first I did because I didn't want to upset Ms. Crawly, but the more comfortable she got with setting me up, the more I had to make excuses to get out of them." He said and Ash nodded.

"I've never been on a blind date." Ash said and Moon glanced at her.

"Well if you ever do go on one, then I hope that you get someone who really knows what you're looking for." Moon said and Ash looked at him.

"How bad was it?" She asked and Moon couldn't help but laugh quietly.

"Oh, dear. Let's see. She set me up with a 50 year old puzzle maker who refused to look at me while we were at the restaurant. That one requested a kid's menu and cut it up into different puzzle pieces. She put it in a plastic bag and took it home. Then there was that girl who was 30, but I swear she looked 12. She was chewing gum loudly and obnoxiously while she texted on her phone. Oh, and the one that really made my skin crawl is the one with the staring problem." He said with a shiver.

"Staring could mean that she likes you." Ash said in a reassuring tone.

"She didn't look at her menu, she drank from a straw so that she wouldn't break eye contact when she talked to me, and she when our food came her eyes followed my fork from the plate to my mouth." Moon said and Ash lightly grimaced.

"Are you sure that you're not exaggerating? It would be hard to focus on each and every bite you take while she ate her food." Ash asked and Moon glanced at her.

"She ordered soup. She also drank that with a straw." He said and Ash sighed.

"You're right, that does sound really creepy." She admitted and Moon smiled.

"Well the way I like to see it, everyone has a 'worst date' story." Moon said and Ash smiled.

"I guess so." Ash said and Buster gently hit her leg.

"Well, com on. Don't hold out on me." He said and Ash rolled her eyes.

"My worst date. Hmm... Well the first one that comes to mind is a date that I had with Lance. It was our third date, and he really wanted to go to this club. And I wasn't really up for the idea, but I figured that a relationship is a give and take, so I said yes. And we were there and it was like a mosh pit, but everyone was moving in different directions. I hated it, because people kept stepping on my feet and a guy even spilled his beer all over me. Lance didn't notice because he arranged for his best friend to meet us up at the club. If I had known that it wasn't just going to be the two of us, then I wouldn't have gone out that night. He started drinking and doing drugs and forgot all about me. Well, that's not really true because he started kissing this girl that he thought was me. That was my last straw and so when I saw the stage empty, I grabbed a spare guitar and sang a song. I didn't speak to Lance for almost a month before he convinced me to give him another chance. I probably shouldn't have but I did and I would do it all over again because if I wasn't dating Lance then I probably wouldn't be here today." Ash said and Moon blinked.

"What do you mean?" He asked and Ash sighed.

"Well, Lance and I were going home when we found your flier. We got kicked out of a gig earlier and I bet that if it was just me then I may not have left or seen your flier." She said and Moon whistled.

"Strange how little things can effect your life like that." He said and Ash smiled.

"Yeah. Oh, hey, there it is." Ash said pointing at the Japanese restaurant and Moon blinked and then swung into a parking spot near the front. They entered the building and were immediately greeted by the host.

"Hello, welcome to our restaurant. You here for the lovebirds special?" The Hyena said with a smile and both Ash and Moon blushed.

"We are with the Crawly party." Buster said and the host smiled.

"Oh, yes, of course. You have good timing too, the Chef has not gotten to the table yet." The host said and Ash smiled.

"Oh, I didn't realize that this was a hibachi place." Ash whispered to Moon and he chuckled.

"Yeah, Ms. Crawly loves it because, and these are her words, she apparently 'has the tongue of a frog'. That and even if she misses, he food won't be the only food on the floor." Moon said and they saw their friends laughing and having fun. Johnny waved when he saw them and pointed them out to Ms. Crawly so that she wouldn't be surprised by them being next to her.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Moon, I saved a seat for you, right beside me." She said and Moon smiled.

"That was kind of you." he said and Moon sat next to Ms. Crawly while Ash looked for her empty chair.

"Don't look lost, Ash. There is an empty chair between me and Johnny." Meena said and Ash smiled at her.

"Thanks." She said and Moon couldn't help but notice how small Ash looked when she was compared to Johnny or Meena, but he didn't have any time to dwell on that because Ms. Crawly was tugging on his sleeve.

"Yes, Ms. Crawly?" Moon asked and she shushed him.

"I have another girl for you to see." Ms. Crawly said and Moon wanted to groan, but he didn't.

"Oh, goody, you do?" He asked and the lizard nodded with such excitement that her glass eye almost fell out again.

"Yes, her name is Gloria and she is a hippo and she loves dancing and she is available for Thursday night." Ms. Crawly said and Moon tried to think of something.

"Uh, well, she does sound very nice, but... um... I..." He paused to look at the younger part of their crowd.

"Ash..." He said and then he blinked and looked at Ms. Crawly.

"Well, Ash is... has... she has... set me up for a blind date that day." He said and Ms. Crawly blinked.

"You got someone else to set you up on blind dates?" Ms. Crawly asked and Moon was nervous but nodded his head anyways.

"Oh, thank goodness." Ms. Crawly said and Moon couldn't hide his surprise.

"What?" He said and Ms. Crawly giggled.

"Oh, Mr. Moon, if I am not looking for someone who is willing to share your life with you, then I can use that energy on other things. Perhaps it is not too late to learn how to drive a motorcycle. I always thought that looked fun." Ms. Crawly said and Moon just stared at his menu with wide eyes.

 _All this time, and all I had to do was say that someone else was playing matchmaker. Who knew?_

Buster smiled and opened his menu to the drink section. But soon he felt a set of eyes on him and he glanced up and saw Ash looking at him, with her eyes just above her menu. She smiled and then she hid her eyes, and poked back up again and Buster chuckled. Then they both looked at the menu for something fun to eat.


	3. Chapter 3

the second act

Disclaimer: I do not own the movie Sing or it's characters.

Chapter 3,

"Why would you tell Ms. Crawly that?" Ash asked and Moon sighed.

"Sorry, Ash. I'm just tired of her setting me up on dates." Buster said and Ash glanced at him. Ever since Ash has been getting weird letters and packages, Moon has been a little more protective. He insisted on driving her home after the party, but she was worried that this would become a normal habit. Worried because she doesn't know whether she wants it to happen or if it's something she will ultimately hate.

"Ok, so I'm suppose to go out and find someone who is somewhere between 36-40, and they would be free for a date in a short amount of time?" Ash asked and Buster glanced at him.

"36-40?" He simply said and Ash was confused by this.

"Ok, do you like your girls to be more older or way younger than you?" Ash said and Buster chuckled.

"I don't mind girls my own age, but that isn't what you said." Buster said and Ash paused and reflected what he had just said.

"Confused?" Buster asked and Ash nodded.

"A little. I mean, logically, you said that you were 6 when you saw the show that changed your life. That plus the fact that you said that your dad worked for 30 years to make money so you could buy the Theater, then that's at least 36. Right?" Ash asked and Moon smiled.

"Dad did save for money for me, and yes it did take him 30 years of work, and yes I did see that show when I was 6. But... dad started saving money before I was born." Moon said and Ash smiled.

"Well, that certainly makes sense. How long did he save before you were born?" Ash asked and Moon thought about it.

"I guess six or seven years." Moon said and Ash paused.

"So, your... around... 25?" Ash asked and Moon smiled.

"Actually 27, but yeah." Moon said and Ash paused and then she started to laugh.

"What?" Moon asked and Ash smiled.

"Everyone thinks I'm younger and that your older, and it turns out that we are so close in age." Ash said and Moon smiled.

"Yeah, I guess that is funny." Buster said and Ash looked out the window.

"So... um... did you get any... different mail lately." Moon asked uncomfortably and Ash blushed.

"Not since that letter I showed you." Ash said and Moon sighed in relief.

"Well, at least that's good." Moon said and they rode in silence for a few minutes until they arrived at Ash's apartment.

"Hey, thanks for the ride, Buster." Ash said and Moon smiled.

"Um, your welcome." Buster said and Ash stepped out of the car, and she was about to close it when she remembered something.

"Oh, Moon, don't forget to get more coffee for the theater. Ms. Crawly made the last pot this afternoon and told Johnny and forgot to tell you." Ash said and Moon shook his head.

"That woman can drives me crazy sometimes, but she is really loyal." Moon said with a smile and Ash smiled back.

"She sure is, night Moon." She said and Buster nodded.

"Good night, Ash." He said, and Ash shut the door and watched him drive off. She walked into her house and she was surprised to see that the door wasn't locked. She could have sworn that she locked the door this morning. She looked around and it didn't look any different, so she sighed at her paranoia. She was starting to feel thirsty so she walked over to the fridge and opened the door. There was a pink box within it, that wasn't there before. Ash blinked and with shaky hands she took it out of the fridge and onto the counter. She opened it and she saw a cake. It was white with red lettering, that said 'I hope you had a good time at Ms. Crawly's birthday party.'

"What? How did...?" Ash was trying to find the right words and she walked away from the pink box. Someone knew where she was, and entered her home and left something behind. She was officially scared, so she took out her phone and called the one person she really needed.

"Hello?"

"Buster, it's me Ash." Buster had just gotten to the store and was heading over to the coffee section.

"I... I hope I didn't disturb you." Ash said and Moon grabbed the 10 pound bag of coffee grounds and started to walk towards the checkout.

"I don't think you could ever disturb me. What's going on?" Buster asked and he heard an unusual silence.

"Ash?" He said when he got in a short line.

"I need you to pick me up." She said and Buster smiled at the cashier, he was the second one in line.

"I do? Where do you want to go?" Buster asked and Ash let out a shuttered breath.

"Um, the police station." She said and Buster froze, he didn't even immediately notice when the customer in front of him had left and the cashier was waiting patiently for him to move forward.

"Why the police station?" He asked putting the coffee in front of the cashier, but he mostly did it out of the heaviness of the object and the situation.

"I need to file a break-in. Or maybe it's harassment or something." Ash said and Buster nodded.

"That will be $35, please." The cashier said and Moon remembered where e was. He handed the woman a few dollar bills and glanced at his phone to make sure Ash was still on the line.

"I'll be over right away." He said.


	4. Chapter 4

the second act

Disclaimer: I do not own the movie Sing or it's characters.

Chapter 4,

"I think you did really well in there." Moon told Ash as they left the police station.

"Thanks, I know that it's probably silly for me to think that... I don't know." Ash said and Moon took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders.

"You are not being silly. The biggest problem that victims of stalkers have is that they wait to report the stalking." Moon said and Ash glanced at him in annoyance.

"I wouldn't say that I am a victim. After all, letters and a cake isn't the same as finding a knife against your throat." Ash said and Moon wrapped his arm around her and got her walking down the steps.

"Stalking is stalking. You didn't feel safe, and you did something. That is good. But there is something that bothers me." Moon said and Ash started to look worried.

"What's that?" She asked and Moon looked at the steps as he walked down them.

"I don't know why you told the police that you didn't know who the stalker was." Moon said and Ash shook her head slightly.

"What? I don't know who the stalker is." Ash said and Moon shrugged.

"You did tell me that your door wasn't messed with. And that the only person who might have a key is Lance." Moon said and Ash sighed.

"I hate to say it, but Lance could be the stalker. But I'm not sure about that. I don't know. Besides, I told the police that when I threw him out, he was upset. But I think he left his keys in the apartment, so... that makes his chances less." Ash said and Moon looked at her.

"He's the best choice." Moon simply said and Ash nodded.

"Whatever, if something else happens, and I hope it doesn't, then I will come back and tell the police. I may hate the idea of Lance being a stalker, but I wouldn't protect him." Ash said and Moon smiled.

"That's good. So... Well... Am I taking you back to your apartment? Because you may want to sleep somewhere else." Buster said when they got closer to the car.

"I do not want to be afraid of my own apartment. Besides, I spend most of my time at the theater." Ash said and Moon bit his lip.

"Ok, but you should at least call someone to come over and spend the night with you." Moon said and Ash thought about this.

"Well, Rosetta has her kids and she lives on a tight schedule. Meena, is probably resting by now, and she doesn't live close to me. and then there is Ms. Crawly... well..." Ash hesitated and Moon chuckled.

"That's fine. But what about your friends outside of the theater?" Moon asked and Ash sighed.

"My friends were all Lance's friends, besides the only girls were the type to be paid for services and walk away." Ash said and Moon's eyes widened.

"Understood. Well... uh... What about Gunther or Johnny?" Moon asked.

"Gunther drove to a family reunion after Ms. Crawly's party. He won't even be in town for another week." Ash said and Moon snapped his fingers.

"Oh, that's right. That's why I was researching solo numbers for Rosetta." Moon said and Ash giggled a little.

"As for Johnny, I couldn't ask him to do that. A reporter found one of Johnny's notebooks and saw poetry that he had written for a special someone. So the reporter has been hassling him, and if they find out that he was in my house overnight, then they would have a field day. It would make his problem worse, and bring my problems into light." Ash said and Buster opened the door for her and she got in.

"Wow, I can't let her hang herself dry." Moon said after he closed the door and started to walk, slowly, around the back of the car.

"I mean, I could spend the night with her. Well, at her bed- Apartment! Hehe, yeah, but that would probably be more scandalous then Johnny at her house. I could ask Eddie to do it, but he isn't a very good watchdog. But how can I do it? I mean it would look like I picked her because she was my girlfriend, not that she is. But think of the stories they would report. Think of how people will treat the shows. Think of..." Moon paused when he got to his door and he saw Ash sitting quietly as she blankly stared out the window. She looked so scared and sad.

"Think of what would happen if I leave." Moon breathed out and He opened the door and got in the car.

"Well, I guess the only thing left is for me to make sure that you are safe." Moon said and Ash perked up and looked at him.

"Really?" She asked and Moon smiled at her as he started the car.

"Of course. After all, you are one of my best friends. Granted you shouldn't tell Eddie, because he was my only friend for the longest time, and he isn't use to competition." Moon said and Ash giggled.

"Thank you Mr. Moon." Ash said and Moon rolled his eyes.

"Mister Moon... Mr. Moon... Sir Moon..." He paused to let out a small laugh.

"Come on Ash, the least you can do is call me 'Buster' more then you normally do." Moon said and Ash shrugged.

"I guess, but I like 'Moon'. Because ever since I was little, I use to look up at the moon and talk to it. It was cheaper and safer then a diary, and it made me feel... hmm... 'special' sounds like such a cheesy word, but it's the closest this I got. Like talking to an imaginary friend that you can actually see." Ash said and Moon felt a smile in his heart as he listened to her speak. Listening to her relive a quaint little memory, almost made him feel like he had the same memory. Which is ridiculous because he didn't talk to the moon before, but he is starting to wish that he had.

"Do you still talk to the moon?" Buster asked and Ash twisted her lip as she pondered on this question.

"Not for a while. I talk to the moon when I am laying in bed at night, but I have been sleeping with the blinds closed, lately." Ash said and Buster figured that this must be a factor of her stalker.

"Well, I think maybe tomorrow night, you can sleep in my apartment and I will let you and the moon talk for at long as you want." Buster said and Ash shifted and laid her head on his shoulder.

"That sounds really... really... (Yawn) Nice." Ash said. She hoped that he wouldn't think that her drowsiness wasn't from boredom; but talking to him made her feel calm and relaxed, and comfortable enough to get some sleep.

"Yeah, doesn't it." Buster whispered as he felt his face heat up.


	5. Chapter 5

the second act

Disclaimer: I do not own the movie 'Sing' or it's characters.

Note: Let me just thank the people reading this. I am shocked at how many people love this story. To put it into perspective, this story has only existed for around 13 days and it is my second most read story this month. I also want to give a special thank you to reader/author LuSilveira whose comments make me want to update this story constantly. Thank you.

Chapter 5,

Moon stopped the car, and looked over at Ash. She was completely knocked out and Buster tried not to chuckle. He turned off the car and undid his seat-buckle as he watched Ash to make sure that he did not wake her up. She stirred a little when his seat belt got near her face, but Moon shifted his arm so that his arm could hold her cheek and gently lift her head. Once his seat belt was gone, he slowly moved Ash over towards the middle of her chair. She muttered something and Moon held his breath, until he saw her curl up a little. Moon opened his door as quietly as he could and shut it softly. He let out a loud sigh as soon as he was out of the car. He needed to get Ash in her bed. Moon walked over to Ash's door and he turned the doorknob and found that it was locked.

"Of course... Did I really expect to find this door unlocked?" Moon whispered out loud and he realized how tired he must be. He looked at his car and shrugged. He went over and opened the passenger side door. He looked at the floorboard with the hope that maybe she had a purse on her that he didn't notice. But there was no purse in the car. He looked at Ash's skirt hoping that she was wearing a belt that she had hooked her keys onto. But she was not wearing a belt. He blushed as he realized that Ash's keys must be in her pockets. Of course, he couldn't just just rumble through her pockets.

"Ash." He whispered and Ash didn't move. Moon bit his lip and placed a finger on her shoulder and pushed slightly.

"Ash." He whispered again, this time she stirred a little.

"Wha... t's going..." She said, obviously somewhere between dead asleep and barely awake.

"I need your keys." Moon said slowly and Ash's hand landed heavily on her left leg.

"Here." She muttered and Moon breathed calmly so that his heart wouldn't race.

"Can I have your keys?" He asked and Ash's left hand flexed in response and Moon sighed. He carefully and shakily went into Ash's pocket and grabbed her keys. He kept a firm hold on the keys, because if he didn't, the keys would be shaking so loudly that Ash would definitely wake up. He rushed back to the apartment door and opened it up. Then he put the keys into his pocket and went back for Ash. He removed her seat belt and placed one arm under her legs.

"Lean on me, Ash." He said and Ash grumbled a little but she shifted unto him. Moon lifted Ash out of his car and closed the car door, all the while he was mentally thanking Eddie for convincing him that they should work out together. He carried Ash into her apartment and he closed the door behind him. He did hesitate once he was inside Ash's apartment because he wasn't exactly familiar with it. But he quickly found her bedroom and placed her in her bed. Moon decided that it would be better to just leave her like that, especially when Ash just filed a harassment form. She would lose it if she woke up in her pj's and under her covers. Moon walked out and closed the door behind him. Moon looked around and saw the couch which was close to the door. He decided that it would be better for him to sleep there tonight. He walked in and found a basket full of blankets, and grabbed the top one which was really soft, but had a few small holes. Deciding that the holes were not enough to bother him, he draped it out on the couch. Moon normally slept in his boxers, but he figured that tonight it might be better if he just slept in his suit.

 _Yeah, whatever. I'll just sleep in the suit and I can use my jacket as a pillow, and... wait... where is my jacket._

Moon glanced around before he realized that he put it on Ash earlier. But she didn't have it on when he carried her in, so it must still be out in the car. Moon would have been a little perturbed with this realization, if it wasn't for the fact that he hadn't had the chance to lock up his car earlier. He walked outside and was shocked to see a suspicious looking character on the street side of his car.

"What are you doing?" He asked and he surprised them. The person turned towards him and Moon saw a prickly pattern form behind them and Moon's eyes widened. This porcupine shot a few of it's spikes at Moon, who ducked to avoid them. When he look back up, the porcupine was gone. He looked around and was shocked at how fast they must have ran. Their were other cars on the street, but none close enough to hide that quickly.

Moon wanted to race back inside, but he told himself to calmly walk forward (which he did) and get his coat. He closed his door and he locked the car as soon as the door was closed. He strolled back to the apartment and walked in. He firmly locked the door behind him and went to all the rooms available in Ash's apartment and made sure that any and all windows were shut, locked, and covered. Once Moon was sure that no one could look inside the apartment, even if they wanted to, he let out the biggest breath of his life.

He forced every fiber of his being to almost look bored as he walked around, and now his heart was panicking and he felt very light headed. Moon looked at the clock, which read 12:31 pm, and he knew that this town had a night life, but that wasn't it. Whoever that was, must have been Ash's stalker. But even though they attacked him, Moon was starting to second guess this thought. After all, this is a big town, perhaps he had simply scared someone going for a walk and they were checking out his car.

"Ash is already spooked with that cake. If I told her this tomorrow morning then she would be constantly paranoid. I just need to go down to the police department and update that paper, now." Moon said and he took a step towards the couch and his head suddenly felt so light, that he may pass out from that very act.

"Good lord, I must be tired." He said and he took another step and he felt a stiffness in his spine that made him feel pain when it moved.

"I'm in no condition to drive." He muttered with defeat in his tone. He balled up his jacket and placed it in the area between the arm of the couch, and where his blanket begins. He laid down and grabbed the part of the blanket, which was above him, and draped it over his body.

"I'll get some rest and head down, first thing in the morning." Moon said and as soon as he got comfortable, he went straight to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

the second act

Disclaimer: I do not own the movie 'Sing' or it's characters

Chapter 6,

Buster didn't normally dream, or at least remembered them, but there was something about sleeping in Ash's apartment that made his dreams fill with her strawberry scented air.

 **"Oh, Buster..." A dreamy voice said and Moon turned to see Ash wearing the purple dress and red coat that she wore when she first performed 'Set It All Free'. Buster smiled when he saw that familiar look. Ash walked over to him and seductively ran a finger under his chin which made Buster shiver.**

 **"Come on..." Ash said and then Moon sighed and took Ash by the hand. She started running and Moon gladly followed her. They seemed to be running inside some squid-powered tunnel.**

 **"Where are we going?" Moon asked and Ash just giggled. Moon saw a bright light and he covered his eyes, but when the light had passed he was sitting in Les Calmars so Moon picked up his menu and looked down at the different choices.**

 **"So, what are you in the mood for?" Moon asked and he heard a murmur in front of him. He peaked over his menu and he saw the top of Ash's menu and nothing more.**

 **"Aren't we going to eat?" Moon asked and Ash's menu fell onto the table.**

 **"I can't decide." Ash said and Moon smiled.**

 **"Well, what are you looking at?" Moon said and Ash scanned the menu.**

 **"Uh, this Fritto Misto... or... this shrimp pasta..." Ash said and Moon had to look up Fritto Misto, which happened to be a combination of saute calamari, shrimp and mussels served with basil aioli and cocktail sauce.**

 **"They both sound good." Moon said and he looked at Ash who had an uneasy face.  
**

 **"Is something wrong?" Moon asked and Ash shrugged.**

 **"Well, I was just thinking... Our theater is lit by squid power... so is it right to be eating at a seafood restaurant that serves calamari?" Ash said and Moon blinked and Raised his menu again.**

 **"Well... uh... I suppose not... but they have plenty of regular pasta here too." Moon said, embarrassed** **.**

 **"Could we please get out of here?" Ash said, but it a hauntingly familiar tone.**

 **"Don't you wanna eat?" Moon asked, wondering if he had just ruined his chances with Ash.**

 **"Yeah, but we can't afford any of this." Said a male and Moon shot his head up and saw Eddie sitting across from him.**

 **"Eddie... But, Ash..." Moon looked around and saw Ash walking out the door. He ran out it and he saw a his old theater crumbling in front of him. The water had burst out as the building crashed, and the water was heading straight for Moon. With a quite scream he started running away and ran away from the waves, but this chase seemed fruitless. The water of angry squids seemed to have it out for Moon, following him at every turn and down every street. It grew larger and faster, and Moon couldn't outrun it anymore. The waves crashed into him and the city sped past him as he gasped for air. Moon managed to reach the top of the wave and he felt something familiar. He looked around and he saw that the wave was heading straight for Ash's apartment. He got closer, and closer to her door, but he was not afraid. When he crashed into the door, he opened it up and walked inside dry as the desert. He threw his keys in the bowl and walked into the living room.  
**

 **"Hi, Ash." Moon said when he saw her.**

 **"Hey, baby, I missed you." Ash said and Moon smiled at her and walked over to the table.**

 **"I see you're writing some new music." Moon said and Ash giggled.**

 **"Yeah, I was thinking of writing a new love song." Ash said and Moon looked at her.**

 **"That will probably be a nice change." Moon said and Ash walked over to him.**

 **"I bet you would think so." Ash said in a slight teasing tone.  
**

 **"Oh, forget you." Moon said as he blushed a little.**

 **"You would forget little old me?" Ash asked with a slight southern accent.**

 **"No, how could I?" Moon said and Ash smiled.**

 **"So are you ready to kiss me now?" Ash said and Moon blinked in surprise.**

 **"What?" Moon asked**

"I said, 'Are you ready for breakfast now?'. You looked like you were trying to go back to sleep." Ash said and Moon opened his eyes to see Ash holding a cup of coffee in front of him.

"Oh, well, thanks." Moon said, clearing his throat and sitting up so he can grab the cup.

"I guess I may have woken you up. I thought you said 'Hi, Ash' when I walked into the room, but I must have been mistaken." Ash said handing him the cup and walking away before she could see the blush on his face. Moon didn't realize that he was one to talk in his sleep.

"Thanks for the coffee." Moon said and Ash walked over to her stove.

"I wasn't sure how you took it, I was pretty sure that Mrs. Crawly gives you plain black coffee. But I do have sugar and some creamer if you want some." Ash said and Moon chuckled and walked over to her table.

"Mrs. Crawly does give me black coffee, but I do like to have sugar or creamer when it's available." Moon admitted as he placed his cup down.

"Well, I have two different kinds. Almond Joy and Italian Creme." Ash said and Moon perked up when he heard the word 'Italian'.

"Can I try the Italian Creme?" Moon asked and Ash nodded.

"Yes, it's in the door on the bottom shelf." Ash said and Moon licked his lips as he looked in the fridge. Somehow he was actually getting an appetite with the thought of this particular creamer.

"How do you liked your eggs?" Ash asked as she walked over to the fridge and grabbed the eggs. Moon froze when Ash's hand grazed his arm but she didn't seem to notice his tension. He grabbed the creamer and walked over to the table.

"Scrambled is fine." He said and Ash looked at him.

"Ok, one egg or two?" She asked and Moon poured the creamer into his coffee as he thought. He didn't want to be a burden by asking for too much, but on the other hand, he didn't want Ash to think that he didn't trust her cooking.

"Well, how many eggs are you going to have?" Moon asked and Ash thought about this.

"I guess one, but if I'm still hungry then I can always make a second." Ash said and Moon smiled.

"I'll take one egg." Moon said and Ash giggled.

"Ok, Buster." She said turning back to her stove and Moon blushed again. He loved the way Ash said his name, like some sweet... Well, it's as sweet as the creamer he was drinking.

"Wow, this is great." Moon said and Ash turned to look at him as he held his cup up in the air.

"Thanks. To be honest, I got it because it said Italian and I love Italian stuff. Well, I have never been to Italy, so I guess the most honest thing I can say is that I like the Americanized Italian that I am familiar with." Ash said ending her sentence with a sad expression, but then she looked up at Moon and smiled before turning back to her stove. After a few minutes she turned back to Moon holding out a plate that had an egg, a piece of toast, and a few sausages.

"Oh, man, Ash, this smells amazing." Moon said and Ash smiled brightly.

"Thanks. Oh, I forgot to get you maple syrup." Ash said and she walked over to the pantry.

"Syrup?" Moon asked looking down at his plate.

"You don't want syrup?" Ash asked and Moon blinked when he saw her place it on the table.

"I didn't say that. I just don't know what it's for." Moon hesitantly admitted and Ash bit her lip.

"Well, your eggs and sausage. My family loved to drip their eggs and that Kansas sausage in syrup. Granted you don't have to do that, but I'm going to do that with the sausage." Ash said and she turned towards the stove to cook her egg.

"How did you get Kansas sausage?" Moon asked and he imagined Ash with a tilted smile on her face.

"My great grandmother lives in Peabody, Kansas, and she sends us jars of this sausage. It's always been one of my favorites." Ash said and Moon smiled. He started eating his breakfast and he kept glancing at the syrup and wondering how the sweetness of the syrup would taste with the salty taste of his eggs or sausage. He grabbed it and poured a little pool of it on his plate so that he could try the combination. He cut a little of his sausage and dipped it in the syrup. He held it on his fork for a moment, his mind reminding him of what is was and he grimaced. But then he looked at Ash and figured that it was at least worth trying. He quickly popped the morsel of food into his mouth and started to chew. He blinked as he tasted this. It wasn't that bad, but when he took a bite of the sausage without the syrup, it tasted less moist and he was surprised.

"Did you try the syrup?" Ash asked and Moon looked up at her.

"Um... Maybe." Moon said and Ash giggled.

"I said you didn't have to eat your food like that." Ash said and Moon smiled at her.

"I know." He said and at that moment he started to notice the smell of Ash's egg and it smelled better than his.

"Still, my quirks don't force you to have the same quirks." Ash said and she looked up at Moon who was looking at her plate.

"What are you looking at?" She asked and Moon blinked.

"Sorry, it's probably my imagination, but it seems like your plate smells better." Moon said and Ash smiled.

"I made my egg a little differently. Would you like to try?" Ash said cutting a piece and Moon gladly accepted it.

"Mmm, savory." Moon said and Ash smiled.

"It's nothing special. I mix the raw egg in the tiny bowl and I put butter, a little garlic, and more season salt then I should use, but I scramble it and, yeah..." Ash said and Moon smiled. Ash and Moon stared at each other as they ate. They both seemed to notice the fuzzy emotions they were silently exchanging and neither one wanted to brake the mood.


	7. Chapter 7

the second act

Disclaimer: I do not own the movie 'Sing' or it's characters.

Chapter 7,

Ash insisted on taking a bus to the theater, against Moon's warnings, but she had to get away from him. She could handle her feelings pretty well when she only saw him at work, but she nearly died when she saw him asleep on het couch.

It almost felt like last night was all a dream. Buster carrying her with his strong arms and being so careful and protective when he put her to bed.

She enjoyed the sounds of the bus. The chatter of the people around her, the quiet buzz of the engine, and the sound of the radio station the bus driver put on. Ash even loved the feeling of the road. Placing her feet firmly on the ground so she could feel every nook, cranny, and bump, and it simply made her smile. When she got to the theater, she was surprised to see that everyone was waiting for Buster to show up. She would have bet a million dollars that he would have beaten her here.

"Oh, hi Johnny." Ash said when she saw him walking up to her.

"Hey, Ash. Mrs. Crawley really wants me to do a duet, a romantic one. And I thought maybe you could do the duet with me and play your guitar." Johnny said and Ash looked down and to the left.

"But aren't you worried about those rumors?" Ash asked looking at him and he looked a little nervous.

"Well a little, but Mrs. Crawley thought that if we indulge the... Uh... Reporters, then we may get more ratings for the theater." Johnny said and Ash blushed.

"Wait are you asking me to pretend to date you?" Ash asked and Johnny's eyes widened.

"No, of course not. But I would like to do the song with you. Surely we can find something to balance the sound of a piano and a guitar." Johnny said and Ash laughed.

"Ok, well, what is the song she wanta to do?" Ash asked and Johnny rolled his eyes.

"Well she is pretty stuck on 'Don't go breaking my heart.' and '(I've had) the time of my life'. Honestly I would rather play 'Don't stop believing' because it seem like the perfect way to describe our attitudes."Johnny said and Ash nodded.

"You're right, but when does she expect you to perform this song?" Ash asked and Johnny shrugged.

"I think she said the end of the month." Johnny said and Ash chuckled.

"Well, I'm just going to say maybe, because I am not singing 'The time of my life.' on stage." Ash said and Johnny gave her a thumbs up and walked away. Ash walked into her rehearsal space and closed the door behind her.

She wondered what happened to Moon. Surely her stalker hadn't come back and done something to him. But what if the stalker did? Would the stalker be afraid of Moon? Would he hurt Buster, or worse kill him? Poor Moon.

All he wanted to do was help Ash, and make her feel better. If she hadn't called him then he would hehere now, probably scolding her for not giving the audience an encore last friday. Of course she would rather be scolded then panacking about his safety. She was starting to understand why Moon insisted on staying the night with her. Because he felt as worried as she felt right now. Granted it probably wasn't the same.

Ash really cared about Moon, and even though they were friends, her worry came from a more emotional role. A role in which she truely believed that Moon would never play. When Moon looked at her, he only saw a friend and a performer. How on earth would he see a girl craving his attention? She decided to go ahead and call Moon, but after three rings, the phone went to voice mail and Ash's heart really began to race.

What if he got into a car accident on the way here? What if he got carjacked? This city has been full of crime, especially since Johnny's dad got arrested. It seems as if everyone was trying to take his place as king of crime, or whatever. Maybe Moon had to go see his girlfriend. But if he had a girlfriend why would he need me to set him up? Maybe she is a secret no one can know about because she wants to stay out of the spotlight. Of course, if you date a guy in the spotlight, you should prepare to at least be in the glow. But maybe Moon likes the fact that she wants to stay out of the light. That means that she really likes him for him and not his fame.

Ash called Buster again; three rings, voicemail, and Ash groaned. Or maybe he hates her. Only spending time with her in order to keep her in the show. If he only cared about her for her voice the she may just break down and cry.

Ever since her audition with Lance, Moon had this way of surprising het. He only wanted Ash in his performance,he admitted to not understanding something,and he called her a natural when she was being sarcastic and a tad rude. Ash smiled briefly when she remembered Moon dancing. He chose to use the most predictable moves and asked her to try and dance. She really expected him to get mad and say something like 'you're doing it wrong' 'stop being sarcastic' 'take this seriously' or something with a bit more crudeness.

Instead he complemented her, which surprises her till this day. Although it makes more sense if he was kind in order to keep her in the show. No, that can't be true. Moon was the firstperson in her life to make her feel wanted. Sure she dated Lance, but she was far from surprised when she started cheating on her.

Lance always carried himself that way. As if he could disappear tomorrow,not be back for a week, show hp one morning and expect a meal fresh and waiting for him. Ash use to think that was mysterious and a bit rock-and-roll,but after a yearof dealing with him, she really got hurt by this behavior. Always staying home, keeping the fort clean, and money in the bank. Maybe that's whyshe thought Lance would be faithful to her.

Ash shook her head to erase her thoughts and decided that she would call Moon one last time before going to the others to sound that alarm. After all, if something did happen to him, then they reallt needed to find him. The phone rang three times, and this time someone answered.

"Hello, Buster Moon's phone. How can I help you?" A woman using a very proper tone said and Ash's heart dropped. Buster was with another women. Probably a nice and gentle koala who won't let Buster go.

"Oh, uh, well, my name is Ash and-"

"Buster, do you know someone with the name 'Ash'?" the woman asked and Ash tried to hear Buster's response, but it was hard to hear.

"Yes, she... Theater... Guitar... Her."

"Goodness. Well she is on the phone."

"... Ask... Wanted..."

"No, but I'm not some silly secretary." The woman said and Ash glared at her phone. She couldn't believe that Moon wanted to date such a grouchy character.

"Why are you calling?" The woman asked distastefully.

"I was just wondering where Moon was and if he was ok." Ash said and she mentally slapped herself for revealing too much information.

"My dear, I can answer that without even asking him."

"What... Doing?"

"First, he went to a dirty police department, and- oh, yes it was dirty, wake up and smell the crumpets. Anyways, he went down there to update or check on some file and he came and picked me up. Said something about wanting my help to write a new play." The woman said and Ash blinked.

"A play?" Ash asked and she heard a snobish laughter.

"Yes, a little play about Buster's father, and of course who would be better to help then his own mother?" She said.

"You're his mother?" Ash asked with a smile.

"Of course, who did you think I was?"


End file.
